Culture as Urban Infrastructure: Connecting Cities Through Cultural Districts with Gregorio Scarpella
In episode 23 of Talking Place, host Tanisha Raffiuddin talks place with Gregorio Scarpella, Director of the Global Cultural Districts Network, to explore the role of culture in shaping cities, communities, and collective identity. Drawing on his global perspective and work across continents, Gregorio reflects on how cultural districts can act as vital civic infrastructure rather than optional extras in urban development.
From governance and stewardship to climate responsibility and social relevance, the conversation examines how culture can help cities respond to change while remaining grounded in human connection and care.
What is a cultural district really for?
Gregorio begins by challenging the idea that cultural districts are defined by buildings alone. Instead, he describes them as ecosystems where institutions, public space, programming, and people come together.
Cultural districts, he explains, sit in the space between the city and its institutions, allowing collaboration to generate impact that no single organisation could achieve on its own. Their value lies not just in what they house, but in how they convene, connect, and create shared purpose.
From global networks to local impact
As Director of the Global Cultural Districts Network, Gregorio works with districts across the world, each shaped by different political, cultural, and economic contexts. What unites them is not a single model, but a shared set of questions.
How do we remain relevant. Who are we for. How do we respond to climate change, inequality, and rapid urban transformation.
GCDN’s role, he explains, is not to prescribe answers, but to create space for honest peer learning. By sharing failures as well as successes, districts can move faster and with greater confidence.
Stewardship, care, and the life of public space
A recurring theme in the episode is stewardship. Gregorio argues that the long term success of cultural districts depends less on iconic architecture and more on how places are cared for over time.
This includes governance structures, funding models, programming choices, and the everyday decisions that shape how welcome people feel. He points to examples like The Bentway in Toronto, where temporary infrastructure has evolved into a meaningful civic space through consistent care, experimentation, and listening.
Culture in a time of crisis
Gregorio reflects on the pressures cultural districts face today, from climate change and displacement to funding uncertainty and digital transformation. In this context, culture becomes even more important.
Cultural spaces, he suggests, are where people come together to make sense of change. They offer room for gathering, expression, disagreement, and joy. Cities that invest in culture are investing in resilience, trust, and social cohesion.
Relevance over prestige
Rather than chasing global recognition or prestige projects, Gregorio believes cultural districts must stay rooted in local relevance.
That means asking uncomfortable questions about who is included, who feels ownership, and whose stories are being told. It also means recognising that culture is not static. Districts must evolve alongside the communities they serve if they are to remain meaningful.
Cities built on connection
Asked what makes a city work, Gregorio returns to a simple idea. Cities thrive when people feel welcome, safe, and connected to one another. Culture plays a critical role in creating those conditions, not through spectacle, but through everyday moments of shared experience.
For him, the future of urban life depends on collaboration, curiosity, and care. When cultural districts embrace these values, they become places not just to visit, but places to belong.
Listen to the full episode of Talking Place with Gregorio Scarpella to hear more about cultural districts, global collaboration, and why culture should be treated as essential urban infrastructure.
Available on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcast.